Legend in the Making
by Chelxx96
Summary: It s Lily Evans seventh year and she can t help but notice that many things have changed. Of course it can be accounted to the war developing on the outside of Hogwarts. But could everything be blamed on the on coming war? Was it the war that made James Potter change so drastically over the summer? And was it because of the war that she cared?
1. The Beginning

She woke up to the sound of an owl pecking on her window, wanting to come in and deliver his letter. But she didn´t want to get out of bed and open the window.

So she just stayed there on her bed.

The owl kept pecking on her window and stopped after 10 minutes.

She sighed happily and easily drifted back to sleep.

LILY! She heard her sister, Petunia, screaming like the house was on fire but she ignored her, Lily was very good at ignoring Petunia especially in the morning.

She then heard her sister bonking on the door as if she was trying to bring it down.

"LILY! Open the door right now! LILY!" , Lily groaned and looked at the door "Go away" she whined and dropped her head to the pillow.

"GO AWAY?" screeched Petunia

"YES! Go away" said Lily irritated as she realised that she couldn´t keep sleeping anymore.

"I´ll go away, when YOU make that bloody owl go away from MY window!" screamed Petunia.

Lily groaned and wondered how her parents could still be asleep while her sister screamed bloody murder.

She walked out of her room and entered Petunia´s "oh so neat" room without giving Petunia a second glance. She swore that if she had to look at her one time she´ll murder Petunia without magic, just with her glare.

She opened the window and reached toward the owl while Petunia screamed that she didn´t want any freak animal in her room, Lily just ignored her and left the room with the owl perched on her arm.

"I´ll tell mum about it when she wakes up! This won´t stay like this" Lily could hear Petunia scream outside her room.

How did she do it? Lily glanced at the clock and saw that it was 8oclock , 8 O´CLOCK!

It was only 8 o´clock and Petunia was already screaming her lungs out.

And she had the nerve to call her, Lily, a _freak._

Lily sighed as she remembered how 7 years ago everything had been so different between her and Petunia.

She and Petunia had been not only sisters but also best friends, confidents until the day Lily went off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

That day was the most favourite and at the same time less favourite of her life.

She lost her sister but gained a whole world.

Lily was in fact a witch, a Muggle-born for more details. She was the only witch in her family, something that made her so proud but also made her feel like an outcast in her family.

A feeling she never had while being at Hogwarts, she loved Hogwarts, it was her second home.

A home that she sometimes preferred being at than her actual home.

The hooting of the owl still perched on her arm made her wake up from her thoughts.

"Ohh right, I totally forgot about you. I´m sorry" she said to the owl while she retrieved the parchment from its leg and gave it a couple of owl treats.

She opened the letter and immediately recognised the handwriting of her best friend and roommate at Hogwarts, Hestia Jones.

_Dearest_ _Lily,_

_How are you? Okay, that was boring! Hii Lily!_

_I´m sure you´re fine and if you´re not what did Petunia do?_

_I´m fine, or no wait scrap that, I´m BORED!_

_BORED LILY! BLOODY BORED!_

_Please come and save me Lily because I swear I´m going to die from boredom._

_By the way did you receive your Hogwarts letter yet? (did you notice how I changed topic like that? I´m going insane and my mind can´t keep up with me)_

_Mine arrived just a couple of minutes ago and I was wondering if we could go to Diagon Alley together to buy the school supplies._

_Pretty pretty please say yes, I already asked Alice and Emmeline by Floo Powder and both said it was okay._

_So tomorrow at noon in the Leaky Cauldron. (I´m just assuming you´re going because I´ll force you to go if you say no)_

_See you tomorrow._

_Love, Hestia._

Lily chuckled as she finished reading the letter but her smile faltered as she re-read Hestia´s question if she had received her letter.

She hadn´t received her letter and she was so anxious to receive it.

Not only because sadly it was the last letter from Hogwarts seeing that it was her seventh and final year but also because she was wondering if maybe just maybe she had become Head Girl just like she wished for in her wildest dream.

Muggle-borns didn´t exactly have a high reputation in the wizard world, in fact they were discriminated and now with Voldemort and his followers they were chased down and murdered.

That thought made Lily shiver, she was at Hogwarts now, the safest place in the wizard world but in a year she wouldn´t have that protection and it scared her.

Sometimes she wondered if she should just stay as a Muggle until everything was over but she couldn't do it. She was too much of a Gryffindor to hide like a coward and besides she was too used to using her magic.

She found a quill and was going to start writing a response for Hestia when she heard an owl pecking on her window.

The quill fell on the floor as she froze and looked at the owl.

She ran to the window, let the owl in and took the letter off its leg in what seemed 1 second.

She found that she couldn't breathe properly and tried to calm down before reading her letter.

When she was sure that she was not going to faint from lack of oxygen she opened the letter and started reading.

_Dear Ms. Evans,_

_Enclosed is a list of schoolbooks you will need for your seventh year of schooling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_Regards,_

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Deputy Headmistress_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

She re-read the letter like three times before it really sunk in, she hadn't been made Head Girl.

She sighed and shook her head. She threw her envelope to the side and it landed on the floor with a thud. Odd. It was supposed to be empty. She leaned over her bed and picked the envelope from the floor. She turned it over and out fell a golden badge and a letter.

She picked up the letter first, recognizing Dumbledore's cursive slanted writing. She felt her excitement from before coming back again to her.

_Dear Lily,_

_Congratulations on becoming Head Girl!_

Lily froze. Becoming what? She quickly searched her bed and found the badge. Taking a deep breath, she flipped it over, to see the letters HG on a golden badge with a Gryffindor lion on it. Lily sat there, frozen, staring at her badge. She was head girl? She, Lily Evans, head girl? She racked her brain to think if she knew any other Lily Evans who went to Hogwarts and when she found none a wide smile spread across her face. She screamed and bounced up and down on her bed. She couldn't believe it. She had dreamed so many times that she´d become Head Girl but then she remembered that she was a Muggle-born and her dream always ended up being a nightmare. She shook her head, the smile on her face not vanishing, and went back to reading.

_ Dear Lily,_

_Congratulations on becoming Head Girl!_

_I am very pleased to declare that you are one of the brightest minds here at Hogwarts and you deserve this prestigious the Hogwarts Express, you and our Head Boy will be meeting in the prefects carriage at the beginning of the journey, and will discuss the plans for this coming school year. You will then have to round up the prefects and brief them before going to your compartment._

_I look forward to seeing what joys you will bring to Hogwarts_

_Have a lovely summer,_

_Albus Dumbledore._

HEAD BOY! She had totally forgotten that there was a Head Boy too!

She began to list all the seventh year boys and started scraping their names mentally listing the important factors that the Head Boy needed.

After much thinking she came to the conclusion that the two best options were Remus Lupin and Derek Mallton from Ravenclaw who happened to be her ex-boyfriend.

Her only ex-boyfriend too since Potter scared away every boy who came near her.

_Potter. _Just his name made her mood drop. He is such an annoying, arrogant toe-rag.

An annoying, arrogant toe-rag that somehow had changed.

The reason that Lily had an ex-boyfriend or had even been in a relationship was that he had changed.

When Derek started talking to her Lily was just waiting for him to appear in the hospital wing for some mysterious reason but nothing happened.

And then he asked her out on a date and she said yes, and she waited for him to have a "change of heart" but again nothing.

So she started thinking that maybe Potter hadn´t realized what was going on, maybe when he saw them in Hogsmeade together he´d explode.

But Potter wasn´t at Hogsmeade and when Lily started paying attention she realized that he was never at the meals or in the common room. She only saw him in classes and that was it.

He was quieter too; he still pulled out pranks but innocent pranks and only once a month.

Lily had noticed that and she had been worried.

She dated Derek for two months but they argued a lot and most of their fights involved Potter but Potter didn't do anything to cause their fights. Derek was jealous only because Potter used to fancy Lily and used to ask her out every day.

_Used._ That word bothered Lily, Potter hadn't asked her out since they came from Easter break in fact they hadn't spoken to each other at all. And Lily thought that she should like that but she couldn't.

She had to admit that she missed him. A little. Not much. Just a little bit.

I mean it´s not like she liked Potter anyway.

Like she said to him many times, she´d rather date the Giant Squid than date James.

JAMES? What? NOOOO! POTTER!

POTTER! POTTER! POTTER! She started chanting his last name until her mom called her for breakfast and she happily skipped downstairs to deliver the great news.


	2. Changes

September the first arrived with a light breeze and sunny weather that only made Lily happier.

She had just arrived at platform 9¾ and was looking for her friends.

¨Mom! Dad! I think I just spotted Hestia and Emmeline, I´ll be right back!¨; screamed Lily at her parents while she was already walking away.

¨Hestia! Emmeline!¨; she screamed and saw her two best friends turn around and come to meet her with big smiles on their faces.

¨There´s my favorite Head Girl! ¨; said Hestia with a mischievous smile on her face.

Hestia Jones was quite the opposite of Lily Evans. While Lily had bright red hair and green eyes and was the perfect good girl, Hestia had black long hair with dark eyes and a strong need to always end up in trouble.

¨Hestia, not because I´m Head Girl does it mean that you can do whatever you want and not get in trouble¨; Lily scolded her.

¨Ahh, come on Lily you can´t punish me, I´m your best friend! I´m your Hestii-kins, remember?¨;said Hestia with a pout.

¨Hestii-kins? Where the hell did you get that nickname from Hestia? It´s ridiculous!¨ laughed Emmeline. The tall girl had been friends with them since first year and her she was a combination of Hestia and Lily. She had light brown hair and startling blue eyes.

¨Just ignore her Emmeline. Hey, have you guys seen Alice?¨; asked Lily.

Alice, a pure blooded petite girl with dark brown hair that barely reached her shouders and light brown hair was the shy girl of their group of friends and was currently dating Frank Longbottom. They had been together for years. He had been made Head Boy last year and was starting his first training year as Auror.

¨Actually yes, she´s in a compartment waiting for us Lily¨; answered Emmeline.

¨Ohh ok, so let´s go, what are we waiting for¨; said Lily.

The three girls were on their way to their compartment when they ran into a handsome boy with long black hair who happened to be Sirius Black. Marauder and heartbreaker. He was currently perched on the frame of the door of one of the compartments flirting with some girls. Peter Pettigrew another Marauder but far from heartbreaker stood a few meters from him watching Sirius with complete admiration on his face. In the next compartment sat Remus Lupin, one of Lily´s best male friends and the only Marauder which whom she spoke.

As Lily approached the compartment she realized that Remus was sleeping and saw the bags under his eyes, she remembered then that last night had been a full moon. She knew that Remus was a werewolf since fifth year when they were made prefects together and only admired him more because of that.

It didn´t escape Lily´s notice that she had seen three Marauders and not four and couldn´t stop wondering what happened to the fourth. Not that she cared. No. She didn't care. At all.

It also didn´t escape Lily that Remus was wearing his prefect badge, not a Head Boy badge.

Lily groaned internally at the thought of working a whole year as Heads with her ex-boyfriend.

The train started moving just when Lily reached their compartment, she greeted Alice with as same enthusiasm and soon the four girls were talking like there was no tomorrow.

Soon it was time for Alice and Lily to head to the prefects compartment seeing that Alice was a seventh year prefect and Lily was Head Girl.

The girls were running late since they lost track of time, and Lily was mortified.

Her first meeting as a Head Girl and she was running late, just perfect.

She was all flustered when she entered the compartment and embarrassed when she realized that the Head Boy had started the meeting without her. Was she THAT late?

Suddenly she really looked at him, he was tall and had jet black hair that stuck everywhere.

No, it couldn't be HIM. He hadn't even been a prefect.

But then he turned around and she found herself staring at the one and only James Potter.

He just watched her with a serious face and lifted an eyebrow.

¨Seems like our dear Head Girl finally decided to grace us with her presence¨ he said with an icy voice.

Tears filled her eyes. The words stung but only because he had said them. He had never talked to her like that. Like… Like he hated her.

He turned around and continued with the meeting and just ignored her.

Lily was furious and hurt. And she couldn't help feeling a bit envious at how at ease he seemed leading the meeting, she was waiting for him to make a mistake but he did everything perfectly; better than she herself would do. He even had good ideas while Lily had none.

¨Well, that was everything for this meeting, if you have any doubts or questions you may approach me and Evans. For now go and enjoy the train ride and remember when you have to make your rounds. Evans, anything you want to add?¨ he turned and asked her. Lily could only shake her head no.

¨Okay, so prefects. End of the meeting. Welcome back and hope you have a good year. You may leave¨ he flashed them a smile and made room for them to leave.

When all the prefects left he turned around to look at her and Lily refrained from gasping, this was not James Potter. This boy with a broken look in his eyes and a serious cold face.

Where was that care free, smirking boy?

He looked so old now, far from seventeen when you looked in his eyes.

¨I hope I didn't left out anything or said anything wrong¨

¨No, you- you were perfect¨

¨Oh.. well thanks. I´m glad I did a good job¨ he gave her a small smile, said goodbye and left.

Lily couldn't help but notice he didn't go in the same direction as Remus and that he wasn't heading to the Marauders usual compartment.

Odd. They were always together and yet he hadn't seen him with the others.

In fact, he had completely ignored Remus during the whole meeting and Remus had look nothing short to worried while watching Potter.

What had happened between them? More important, what had happened to James Potter?

Lily remained pensive for a few minutes and the shook her head.

It was nothing. Knowing the Marauders it was probably a prank gone awry or someone kissing someone´s girlfriend. Though the last part sounded unlikely to Lily, the Marauders were fiercely loyal and inseparable. This only managed to stir more confusion in Lily´s head, if they were inseparable why was James suddenly so distant from them?

A prank. Or something petty like that. Lily convinced herself that it had to be that.

But what Lily Evans didn´t know was that it was far from a prank.

James Potter had a secret, a secret that he was forced to keep. A secret he promised he´d take to the grave. A secret that had to remain unknown even to his brothers, the Marauders. A secret that would change everything in the course of seventh year.


	3. The Phoenix Mystery

¨ They´re sitting together but they are not talking. It´s the fourth day in a row Hestia. Something´s not right!¨ whispered Lily while eyeing the Marauders. Hestia turned to look at the Marauders and pressed her lips together in a tight line. She looked oddly just like McGonagall when she did that.

¨Honestly Lily, I´m sure it´s nothing. Just let it go. Since when are you interested in the Marauder´s life?¨something flashed in Hestia´s eyes when she said this and that´s when Lily realized.

¨You know what´s going on, don´t you? Your parents are close friends of Potter´s parents and you´re always hanging out with the Marauder´s in the summer. You know what´s going on! In fact it wouldn´t shock me if you knew why Potter has been different since the Easter holidays!¨ accused Lily slightly offended that her best friend had kept something from her.

¨Yes Lily, I know what´s going on. I don´t have all the details but I have some idea¨ admitted Hestia with a sigh. While doing this she shot a look at Alice and Emmeline and Lily turned to glare at them.

¨You know too! I´m the only bloody moron that´s being kept in the dark here? I bet the whole school knows!¨ shrieked Lily.

¨ Let´s discuss this somewhere else more _private_¨ suggested Emmeline calmly. The four girls stood up from their spots at the breakfast table and Lily walked out of the Great Hall briskly with the girls following her to the edges of the Black Lake.

¨ First of all, it´s not that we _know_ Lily. We are only aware of the situation. I know less than Alice and Alice knows less than Hestia, who doesn´t know it all. There´s no need for you to be mad at us¨ explained Emmeline sternly. Lily nodded and turned to Hestia.

¨Lily, do you remember when I told you that there was an secret organization who´s goal is to defeat Tom Riddle and his Death Eaters?¨ Lily nodded remembering the day that Hestia told her of the secret organization named the Order of The Phoenix, it had been two weeks before Easter holidays and Hestia had only known it´s name.

¨Well my parents and Alice´s dad joined the Order a few weeks after that day. Joining the Potters who are one of the first members. Being in the Order is dangerous business and we were all worried in the beginning. But I guess that being at Hogwarts diminishes that worry.¨ explained Hestia with a serious face. Lily had never seen her friend like that.

¨Of course this doesn´t explain James ´behavior, I know. Because normally our parents would be in the same danger, they _were _in the same place. Until the end of the Easter holidays.¨ Hestia´s eyes glazed over and she had a faraway look. ¨ I´ll never forget that day, I was so scared Lily. I had never seen James like that. Tom Riddle managed to intrude in to the Potter´s mansion and attacked the Potter´s. He wanted them dead Lily. All of them, even James. Thank Merlin that the Mr. and Mrs. Potter are experienced duelers and outfought Tom Riddle . They had to put extra protective wards and jinxes everywhere and the fear never left Mrs. Potter´s eyes since that day. Because that day the Order found out that Tom Riddle next objective was killing the Potter family line.¨ there were tears in Hestia´s eyes by then. She adored the Potters and loved them dearly.

¨ The Order advised them to flee the country, to go into hiding. But they refused, they insisted that they had to fight. Fight for their son and his bright future. Because of that mom decided to join the Order. She said she had to fight too, because there is nothing more powerful than a mother´s love¨ whispered Alice softly.

¨ You can imagine how worried James would be after the attack Lily. He was at within the protection that the Hogwarts walls offer while his parents were on the outside world with someone out to murder them. I think the attack made him grow up roughly, he dueled him too you know.¨ admonished Hestia.

¨ I understand Hestia but that doesn´t explain the rift between the Marauders that is happening _now. _They were just fine after the Easter holidays.¨ sighed Lily. Now she too, was worrying.

¨That´s something more recent. On the last month of the summer vacations the three Potters took a week long trip to Merlin knows where and according to Sirius something changed. Something happened on that trip and James is strangely tight lipped about it. Which is weird since those too don´t have secrets between each other but now they have.¨ explained Hestia.

¨ He has a tattoo¨ said Alice softly. The three girls whirled to stare at her with shocked exressions. ¨He has a WHAT!?¨ shrieked Hestia.

¨ I saw it yesterday. I entered the prefect´s bathroom and he was there in just his trunks. He freaked out when he saw me and grabbed a shirt immediately but not before I managed to see what he was obviously hiding. A big tattoo of a phoenix on his shoulder blade. On the left side of it if I recall correctly and it was moving, he rushed out of the room and I didn´t get the chance to say anything.¨ informed Alice to the shocked girls.

¨A moving tattoo? The only moving tattoo I´ve ever heard of is the Dark Mark¨ whispered Emmeline deep in thought.

¨And Mom and Dad don´t have phoenix´s tattoos so it´s not something for Order Members¨ added Alice.

¨Sirius said that James had been avoiding him. I- Oh my- Sirius doesn´t know of James tattoo!¨ exclaimed Hestia.

The four girls glanced uneasily at each other. Something big had happened over the summer. And now James Potter had a tattoo and a completely new attitude. A tattoo that he was obviously trying to hide and an attitude that was slowly driving everyone around him mad with questions.


	4. Cassiopeia Burroughs

Lily Evans looked up from the essay she was writing to find a phoenix feather and piece of parchment in front of her. She examined the phoenix feather seeing as she had never seen one before turning to read the message on the parchment.

**_Miss Evans,_**

**_I require you and the Head Boy´s presence tonight at 9´clock in my office. If you would be so kind to be on time so we can discuss Head matters I would very much appreciate it._**

**_Albus Dumbledore_**

**_P.S I am very fond of Skittles_**

Lily smiled slightly when she saw that the Headmaster shared a love for Skittles with her and drew the conclusion that that must be the password to the Headmaster´s office.

She looked up and saw James Potter entering the common room next to a beautiful girl with long curly blond hair with pink streaks in it followed by Professor McGonagall. Every head in the room turned to stare at the trio and more importantly at the girl.

She was wearing a Hogwarts uniform with the Gryffindor colors but Lily could swear she had never seen the girl in any of the four houses let alone Gryffindor. In fact Lily had never seen the girl standing next to James Potter at Hogwarts.

Why was it, that lately James Potter was surrounded by mysteries everywhere he went?

Three boys entered the common room and stopped in their tracks when they saw the girl. Every single boy in the room was in some kind of trance. Lily considered the theory of the girl being a veela. She was extremely beautiful. She had a heart shaped face and grey eyes that stood out against her porcelain skin.

¨Who´s the veela girl?¨ whispered Hestia in Lily´s ear.

¨ Who said she´s a veela?¨

¨I´m just assuming, she´s just standing there doing nothing and yet every guy in this room is drooling over her¨

Lily scanned the room and saw that even the first years were eyeing the girl. Every single boy was admiring her beauty with lustful eyes and every single girl was staring jealously at her.

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and glared at everyone. The room was engulfed in silence as everyone stopped whispering.

¨ This girl that you have been blatantly staring at and whispering about is your new Gryffindor housemate. Cassiopeia Burroughs has translated from the Salem Institute of Wizardry and Witchcraft in the States and the Sorting Hat has sorted her in Gryffindor. I hope that you can give her a warm welcome. And I hope that sixth years prefects will make it their task to help her in her first days seeing as she is their year. Do I make myself clear?¨

There was something different in McGonagall when she talked about the girl. When she said the girl´s last name her voice had sounded broken and hollow and she looked at the girl with a broken look in her eyes that no one understood.

But all Gryffindors were smart and just nodded their head, anyone could see that McGonagall cared for the girl.

McGonagall left immediately after whispering something to James Potter and Cassiopeia. After the Professor´s departure Cassiopeia turned to look at everyone and smiled a little.

Lily saw James Potter squeeze her hand and smile at the girl reassuringly. She resisted the urge to glare at their hands. She tried pushing the thoughts of them being together away. It didn´t matter and she didn´t care. Why would she care if James Potter was dating some girl? She didn´t even wonder about the fact that he hadn´t dated anyone since fifth year when he started going after her. She didn´t wonder and she didn´t care. But then, why was she frowning at this thoughts and why was she feeling hurt?

¨ Cassiopeia Burroughs from the Salem Institute in the United States. Blimey, what a name! Do you think she´d have a nickname? I certainly would with a name like that. And what´s with the pink in her hair? Is that a fashion thing on the other side of the world? Americans, they always have such strange habits though I must admit that the look is very cute. I wonder if it will - ¨ Hestia was rambling endlessly next to Lily while they both eyed the girl suspiciously.

It was then that they saw Remus Lupin come down from the boys dormitories. His eyes widened when they saw Miss Burroughs and he then continued to frown He approached the girl cautiously and bit his lip.

By then everyone was silent and watching Lupin and the girl. It seemed as if Lupin knew the girl and everyone just wanted to know what was going on.

¨Cas? Cassie? What- I mean- How- When?¨ asked Lupin bewildered. He shook his head and stared at the girl he then turned to stare inquisitively at James Potter who only arched an eyebrow.

The girl only continued to stare warily at Remus Lupin as if she was afraid of his reaction.

¨ The hell with it!¨ exclaimed Lupin scaring everyone in the common room who had never heard him swear. He scooped the girl up in a breathtaking hug and whirled her around.

The blonde girl started laughing merrily after getting over her shock and her beautiful laugh joined Remus Lupin´s laugh in a very harmonious tone.

Some girls eyed her with contempt in their eyes. Remus Lupin was a very much coveted bachelor who unfortunately didn´t pay much attention to girls.

James Potter was grinning down at them but Lily couldn´t help but notice that the grin didn´t reach his eyes. Everyone had noticed that James Potter didn´t grin as often as before but only Lily had noticed that the few times that he did it didn´t reach his hazel eyes. Hazel eyes that had lost the mischievous light that had always resided in them.

Cassiopeia Burroughs was hugging the two other Marauders who were now in the common room as if they were long lost friends that she hadn´t seen in a while.

¨What happened? Why did you transfer to Hogwarts?¨ Peter Pettigrew had asked the question that everyone had been asking in their heads.

The whole common room grew silent in hopes of hearing the awaited answer. James Potter cleared his throat and shook his head.

¨Not here, Peter. We´ll explain later¨

He closed his eyes for a second and turned to leave but not before Lily Evans could see a lone tear descending on his face.

The Marauders eyed each other warily and then turned to look at Cassiopeia who was biting her lip and holding back tears. Lupin drew her to him and enveloped her in a hug.

¨ Mary, would you be so nice and take Cassie to her bedroom. She will be sharing a dormitory with you and the other girls¨ Lily Evans had never heard Sirius Black sound so... serious.

Mary McDonald, sixth year and a Gryffindor prefect nodded and stood up. She was one of the sweetest girls in Gryffindor and was liked by everyone. Lily could see why Sirius would ask her to help Cassie seeing as the girl was in no state to deal with questions and sixteen year old girls looking for gossip.

Cassie looked up from Remus´ shoulder and smiled at Mary. Her face was wet and her eyes were red but she still managed to look extremely beautiful and flawless.

She followed Mary up the stairs and waved at the Marauders while they saw her go up.

The Marauders then turned to look at the room and raised an eyebrow in perfect synchronization.

¨Don´t you all have something else to do?¨barked Sirius scaring some second years.

Everyone averted their eyes and started whispering amongst themselves at the strange scenario that they had just witnessed.

¨ Don´t you have a meeting with Dumbledore in five minutes Lily?¨ Lupin asked Lily with a frown.

¨The meeting! Merlin, I totally forgot about the meeting!¨

Everyone turned to stare at the Head Girl who bolted out of the common room cursing under her breath.

Lily Evans approached the gargoyle statue guarding the Headmaster´s office running and skidded to a sudden stop when she saw James Potter leaning against a wall. He arched an eyebrow at her and proceeded to give the gargoyle the password.

¨Why haven´t you gone up already?¨

¨ I was waiting for you Evans. I thought it would be better for you if we both were late and not only you¨

¨Thank you¨

James Potter nodded his head and stepped out to knock two times on the door.

¨Come in¨ The Headmaster´s voice sounded calm and the two Heads entered the office.

It was a large and beautiful circular room, full of funny little noises. A number of curious silver instruments stood on spindle-legged tables, whirring and emitting little puffs of smoke. The walls were covered with portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses, all of whom were snoozing gently in their frames. There was also an enormous, claw-footed desk, and, sitting on a shelf behind it, a shabby, tainted wizard's hat - the Sorting Hat.

Dumbledore smiled warmly at them and motioned them to sit on the two chairs facing his desk.

¨Good afternoon Ms. Evans and Mr. Potter. What a pleasure to have such fine company tonight.¨

Blue eyes twinkled behind half moon spectacles and Lily felt as if Dumbledore knew all of her secrets with just one look.

¨Before we proceed to discuss Head matters I must ask. James, how is Cassie taking everything in?¨

Lily noticed how a worried look flashed in the Headmaster´s eyes for a fleeting second and how the Headmaster had referred to Potter by his first name and Cassiopeia´s by her nickname.

She frowned at the strange behavior and turned to hear James Potter´s response.

¨Cassie´s fine, I left her with Remus, Sirius and Peter and I´m sure that they´ll take care of her while I´m not there.¨

Dumbledore nodded but kept looking at Potter in the eyes. The Head Boy didn´t waver his eyes from the Headmaster´s and Lily felt as if they were having some kind of silent conversation.

¨ Let´s continue with the Head matters then!¨ Dumdledore´s sudden exclamation had startled Lily and she turned to look at him.

She saw James Potter straightening on his seat and turned to look at him. She was greeted with a sight she would never forget.

James Potter´s face was steely and cold and he had taken his glasses of to show his hazel eyes full of tears and turmoil in them that made Lily gasp. He averted his eyes and Dumbledore started the meeting as if nothing had happened and James Potter wasn´t close to tears in front of him.

Lily Evans frowned and swore to herself that she was going to find out what were those mysteries surrounding James Potter lately.


	5. Questions Unraveled

**Here it is.. Another chapter :3 **

**I hope you enjoy it (:**

¨I´m not mad at you Evans¨ It was the third time that James Potter said this and he was getting exasperated.

¨If you´re not mad at me why do you ignore me? Why don´t you talk to me? Why don´t you tell me how you are? And why do you keep calling me Evans?¨ the redhead was flushing in anger as she accused the boy while poking him in the chest.

A week had passed since they´re last Heads reunion with Dumbledore and Lily had changed tactics after realizing that James Potter wasn´t going to come to her and just tell her what was going on.

She had approached him two days ago and they´re conversation didn´t get past the greeting mark seeing as Cassiopeia Burroughs decided to appear out of nowhere at that precise moment, wheeling Potter away for something ´important´.

Needless to say Lily Evans had been extremely annoyed that day.

It´s not that she disliked the new girl with the pink strikes in her hair. She was sweet, attentive, friendly and she followed the rules. Everyone liked her and she liked everyone. Excluding the Slytherins of course.

But she was a great girl and Lily had nothing against the girl, she smiled at her in hallways and had even helped her once with directions to get to Tranfiguration. The only moments when Lily Evans didn´t like Miss Burroughs was when she saw her with James Potter. Which was too often for her liking.

She felt bad for thinking it because it was obvious that Cassie´s presence improved Potter´s mood, he wasn´t the same James Potter he was – and Lily feared that he´d never be - but he smiled more often now and Cassie seemed to bring the Marauders a bit back together.

The consequences of that first failed attempt found her cornering James Potter in the Charms corridor asking him if he was okay seeing as he had skipped classes.

His answer had been a stiff ¨I´m fine¨ and a curt nod.

But Lily Evans didn´t want to drop the subject, she wasn´t someone who gave her so she insisted on trying to make a conversation until he had snapped at her resulting in her accusing him of being mad at her.

He had looked at her and then at the finger placed on his chest and for one moment it seemed as if he wanted to say something, she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes and then suddenly he had slipped past her in one sudden move and she was standing alone in the corridor.

¨He´s not fine, you know. He´s far from it and I´m glad that more people have noticed¨

Cassiopeia Burroughs was standing right where James Potter had stood just a second before and Lily´s head whipped around to look at the girl.

She had her hair around her face like an angel´s halo – a pink halo though – and her lips were pressed down on a tight lip as she tried to hold back the tears that were glistening in her eyes.

¨I know that you haven´t always liked James and that he was a insufferable prick with you but thank you for caring. Because he´s so much more than that and I hope that one day you could see all that he is. I´m sorry for eavesdropping on your conversation but I – I´m so worried for him and I don´t know what else to do Lily.¨ her voice sounded so desperate and the sight of her broke Lily´s heart.

¨I´m sorry – I don´t want to bother you. I really don´t but it´s just- I don´t know with who else to talk. The Marauders are already so worried and hopeless in this situation. More than me I think and I just-¨

Lily had her arms around the girl by the time the first tear rolled down her cheek. She hugged her tight while the girls sobbed and helped her calm down.

It was obvious that Cassie had a bunch of emotions bottled up and didn´t know who to go to and Lily was glad to help her.

She lead the girl slowly to an empty classroom and sat her down she then transfigured a handkerchief and waited while Cassie recovered from her breakdown.

¨I feel like you know more than you should and that that´s why you´ve been so concerned about him¨

She spoke so suddenly that Lily jumped in her seat as she was taken out of her thoughts.

¨I know of the Order of the Phoenix. And the trip with his parents and – and the phoenix tattoo. And also of Voldemort´s threat¨

¨You speak his name¨ Cassie´s voice was calm as she eyed Lily confused.

¨Fear of the name-¨´Lily started.

¨Only increases fear for the thing itself¨ Cassie ended the sentence with a small smile on her lips.

¨They are related with each other, that much is obvious. After Voldemort´s attack James became more quiet and preoccupied. I could sense it through the letters he sent and Sirius started to confide in me of his worries about James. I was supposed to come and visit in the summer but it was cancelled because of the trip James made with his parents. When they came back from the trip they were all exhausted as if whatever they had been doing had drained every ounce of energy and magic they had. It took them days to recover according to Sirius. But after they recovered something was different. Remus noticed – being the most perceptive of the group – that James magic was more powerful than before. I don´t think that James himself noticed or I think he would have hidden it from the start. But he started doing wandless magic and when he cast a spell the spell would be more powerful. The boys mentioned it to him and he cast it aside but he started to hide it after their conversation¨

Cassie then stood up and stood in front of Lily with a fierce look in her eyes, she took the redhead hand in her own and took a deep breath.

¨I trust you Lily and I hope you don´t tell anyone except for the ones who already know of the Order and the tattoo.¨

The redhead nodded her head and her green eyes widened at Cassie´s seriousness.

¨James has been leaving the castle for a few weeks now. We have no idea where he goes and he thinks that we don´t know. He usually leaves when everyone is sleeping and comes back when they´re still asleep. When James is hiding something he talks in his sleep and spills the bean dreaming, And we were thinking all of this would be more easy if he did that again and it happened. Remus heard him whispering in his sleep and woke the boys up. Imagine their disappointment and shock when they realized that he was talking in _Latin_¨

¨Latin?¨ Lily looked at Cassie with shocked and confused look.

¨He can speak Latin?¨

¨That´s the weird thing Lily, up until a few weeks ago James has never uttered a word in Latin and he has never showed any interest in the language. And that day he was burning a fever so high that Remus was afraid he would die¨

¨I sent a letter to his parents telling them about it and they just told me to forget about it, that it was nothing and I shouldn´t worry. It´s obvious that they know what´s going on and I think that this all has to do with the damned tattoo and the mysterious trip¨

¨But what about the tattoo? Have you seen it?¨ an unpleasant feeling passed through Lily as she imagined Cassie seeing James Potter shirtless but she ignored it.

¨He hasn´t showed it to any of us. Sirius confronted him a couple of days ago but he refused to even acknowledge the tattoo and he has made it a habit of changing in the bathroom. Making it more obvious, seeing as he used to walk shirtless around the room.¨

Lily couldn´t help wondering how come the girl knew so much about James Potter, she even communicated with his parents and she racked her brain to try and remember if she had ever heard James Potter mention the girl but to be fair she never paid attention to what he said so she wouldn´t know.

¨I love him Lily and it hurts knowing that he doesn´t trust me and that he´s hiding things from me. From us. From the people who care about him and want him to be all right. And it´s okay if you won´t accept it but you fall in that category too.¨

Lily felt as if her heart was being twisted by some invisible force and someone was pressing down on her lungs. The question burst from her lips without her noticing and it was too late to take it back.

¨Are you two together?¨

Cassie´s eyes widened and she bit her lip.

¨What makes you think that?¨she cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

¨Don´t play games with me Cassiopeia Burroughs, are you and James Potter dating?¨ she hadn´t mean to snap at the girl but she couldn´t control her temper sometimes.

¨No, were not.¨ the smile she gave Lily was too mischievous for Lily´s liking.

¨You´re not?¨

¨No. In fact, if we did decide to date it would be incest¨ the smile was a full blown out smirk now as she continued ¨You see Lily, James and I are cousins so you have nothing to worry about¨

Cassie chuckled as the redhead released a breath she didn´t even know she was holding.

¨I´ve lived with my aunt in the States for years but I visit often and after- after my aunts dead I had to move back to England to live with James and his parents.¨ after saying this she stood up after glancing at her watch.

¨I´m sorry I have to go, I have class and James will be wondering where I am. Thank you for listening and caring Lils. We´ll talk soon. I´m sure we´ll be great friends¨

Cassie was reaching the door when Lily asked her softly after realizing that she had not said anything about it.

¨But what about your parents Cas?¨

Cassie froze with her hand on the doorway, she didn´t turn around but Lily knew that her face was a complete mask of pain.

¨They – I – When my aunt died, she went to join them¨

She then left leaving the redhead standing in the room with a frozen look on her face.

**R&R darlings :3**

**Let me know what you thought about it :3**


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